What Are Nanaimo Bars?

Back at the end of September, I asked my Facebook followers what Christmas recipes they needed converted to a gluten free recipe. Cori, from Canada, asked for a recipe for Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars. I admit, it required a bit of research on my part! Up until then, I’d never heard of Nanaimo Bars. They appear to be a traditional Canadian Christmas dessert. They consist of three, decadent layers.  Looking at the recipe, it appeared to be relatively simple.

For the most part, only one ingredient in the original recipe presents a problem for those with Celiac Disease. Graham Cracker crumbs. Lucky for me, my local grocery store stocks Schar Honeygrams. I love that each box contains three individual packages. This not only helps keep them fresh, but also helps with portion control! I found that each “6 cracker package” breaks down into approximately one 1/2 cup of crumbs. Therefore, one box equals 1 and 1/2 cups of crumbs.

Origins of the Nanaimo Bar

Prior to making this recipe, I researched other recipes on the internet. People take their Nanaimo Bars very seriously. The original recipe originated in Nanaimo, British Columbia. However, when others have tried to duplicate and make a few tweeks, some people get a bit defensive! (You should see the comments on the King Arthur Flour Nanaimo Bars recipe! Oh my goodness!) Therefore, I tried to stick the the main recipe, making as few changes as possible in my Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars recipe.

When I read the ingredients for the crust, I realized the texture would be similar to no bake cookies. (By the way, this recipe requires no baking!) Therefore, I chose to pulse the coconut and almonds in my Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars recipe. I felt this would make a more uniform crumb mixture. In addition, I chose unsweetened coconut, because many mentioned how sweet these bars taste. The rebel in me added a bit of espresso powder to the crust mixture, but it’s not necessary. A touch of espresso powder enhances the taste of chocolate.

Custard Powder vs. Vanilla Pudding Mix

In Canada, they use Bird’s Custard Powder in Nanaimo Bars. While being gluten free, this ingredient is not readily available here in the states. Therefore, I used Jello-O Simply Good Vanilla Bean Pudding Mix. However, any vanilla pudding mix will do. For the powdered sugar, I chose Domino’s, as I find my store brand has an off taste. If you need powdered sugar WITHOUT corn starch, you can order it from Better Batter.

Possibly my biggest difference in my Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars from the original is the ganache. The original recipe calls for adding butter to the melted chocolate to make ganache. However, when I hear the word “ganache,” I automatically think cream. Being I never keep regular cream in the house, I used coconut cream. It comes in a can, is shelf stable, and contains only the slightest hint of coconut in my opinion. If you want to use butter instead of cream, combine 6 oz of chocolate with 2-3 tbsp of melted butter.

Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars SUCCESS!

All in all, I’d call these Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars a huge success! I sent a few over to my friend who just had a baby and she LOVED them! This recipe veers from the original a bit. However, I feel it approximates it closely, and allows us all to make it easily. That’s my goal here. To make our favorite “pre Celiac diagnosis” dishes doable, and as with much ease as possible. An additional note. These Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars freeze well if you want to make them ahead of time.

If you love layered bars like these, you might also like my Gluten Free Triple Mint Brownies! Craving something with more layers? These Gluten Free Magic Cookie Bars from What the Fork definitely fits that order! Looking for thinner? Try this Gluten Free Dairy Free Christmas Crack from Celiac and the Beast!

Recipe

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Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1/2 c butter
• 1/4 c sugar
• 3 tbsp Hershey Dark Cocoa or 5 tbsp regular
• 1/4 tsp espresso powder optional
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 c gluten free graham cracker crumbs
• 1 c unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 c almonds

For the Filling

• 1/2 c butter softened
• 2 tbsp vanilla pudding mix I used Jello brand
• 3 tbsp milk
• 2 c. powdered sugar sifted (I used Domino’s)

For the Ganache

• 6 oz. semi sweet dark chocolate chunks I used Scharfenberger
• 3 oz. coconut cream I used Thai Kitchen
• **Note make sure you whisk the contents of the can of coconut cream together before using, as separation occurs.**

Instructions

• In a food processor, break down gluten free graham crackers into crumbs. Once completely ground, add coconut and almonds. Pulse a few times until they are coarsely chopped. Set aside. 
• Place a large glass bowl over a medium pot of hot water, on the stove. (Creating a double boiler.) Add butter and sugar to bowl, and melt. Add cocoa powder and espresso powder (if using) until all dry ingredients are thoroughly absorbed. 
• Add egg to hot mixture and whisk for about a minute until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and add graham cracker crumb mixture. Press crust into an 8×8 pan, lined with parchment paper. (This makes removal of the finished bars from the pan MUCH easier.) Chill crust in fridge while creating cream filling. 
• For the filling, place softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. (Or use a medium bowl and hand mixer.) Cream butter until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla pudding mix and milk, and incorporate thoroughly. Finally, add sifted powdered sugar, and blend all ingredients together. Spread filling over the chilled crust. Return to refrigerator while preparing the ganache. 
• In a small / medium bowl, add 3 oz of coconut cream. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove from microwave, and add the 6 oz. of chocolate chunks. (You can use chocolate chips if you have that on hand.) Allow chocolate to rest in bowl, covered, for 2-3 minutes. Remove cover (I tend to use a plate) and whisk chocolate into cream until all is melted and smooth. Spread ganache mixture over the cream filling, and return to refrigerator for 1-2 hours. (If not serving that day, cover with plastic wrap after bars are completely chilled.) 
• To serve, pull up on parchment paper strips to remove bars from pan. I cut this recipe into 16 squares. You can cut them into 25 if you want them more “bite sized.” 

What’s your favorite way to use graham cracker crumbs? What holiday goodies are you making with Schar products this year? (I’m hoping to make Almond Banket with their new Puff Pastry!) Leave a note in the comments so we can all get some holiday inspiration! 

**Schar graciously sponsored this post. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I am beyond grateful to Schar for their continued support of my blog, as well as our Michigan Gluten Free Kids Camp.**

Originally Published November 2018

The post Gluten Free Nanaimo Bars: Canadian Tradition appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

So a funny thing happened on the way to the store. I went with the purpose of buying new workout shoes. Instead I came home with a donut pan and made gluten-free dairy-free chocolate donuts.

The Easiest Way to Make Homemade Gluten Free Donuts

I’ve been wanting to make homemade donuts for a long time. Some of my favorite gluten-free bloggers have been giving me serious donut envy. Then I remembered that I had a Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix and a package of Dang Gluten Free Toasted Coconut Chips.

Being the frugal use-what-you-have-in-the-pantry kind of gal, I decided to combine the two. Therefore, gluten-free dairy-free chocolate donuts with coconut were born!

Can You Make These Dairy Free?

While I don’t have to eat dairy-free, I know many people that do. Sometimes I like to play around in the kitchen, seeing how I can make items safer for those with additional allergies.

Substituting Coconut Oil for Butter

I did some research and read from other bakers that coconut oil was great for dairy-free baking. Therefore I grabbed some coconut oil and subbed that for the butter called for on the Betty Crocker cake mix box.

My One Tip For Better Gluten Free Baked Goods

To that I added crushed Dang Coconut Chips. The batter was thin, not like a dough that one could roll out. Due to this, I allowed the batter for these gluten-free dairy-free chocolate donuts to rest 10-15 minutes. This allowed the mix to absorb the liquid and did become slightly thicker.

What Type of Donut Pan Do You Use?

I use Wilton Donut Pans. I’ve owned them (literally) for years and they still work great. To fill the donut pan wells, I recommend putting the batter in a gallon ziploc bag, and placing a small cut in the corner to pipe the batter into the wells. These were baked for 15 minutes, much like you would a cupcake.

These gluten-free dairy-free chocolate donuts are delicious, fluffy and very moist. If you prefer a dryer and firmer donut, I might suggest only using 2 of the 3 eggs that the recipe directs. (I haven’t actually tried this, so I’m not sure what the results will be.)

How To Make Dairy Free Frosting

Since my batter was dairy-free, I wanted to have a dairy-free frosting as well. I made a coconut oil based “buttercream” by blending coconut oil, powdered sugar, vanilla and a touch of water. I recommend this dairy free frosting recipe from LouAna.

The recipes I found all called for a bit of milk, but I didn’t have any dairy-free milk. The consistency worked out just fine. After dipping the gluten-free dairy-free chocolate donut in the glaze, I dipped it in shredded coconut and let it rest.

Can I Use a Different Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix?

The gluten free market continues to grow by leaps and bounds since I was first wrote this recipe in 2016. There are SO many amazing gluten free chocolate cakes mixes available today. Here are a few I recommend.

• King Arthur Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix
• Krusteaz Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix (may contain milk, soy)
• Better Batter Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix
• Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix
• Pamela’s Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix
• Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix
• Jessica’s Natural Foods Cake Mix (contains oat flour)

And you don’t even need to use a chocolate cake mix. You could make yellow cake donuts.

What Other Toppings Would You Like on a Gluten Free Chocolate Donut?

I just so happened to have some leftover caramel sundae sauce left in the refrigerator. It is not dairy-free, but I couldn’t resist trying it out. I miss the Girl Scout Samoa cookies and thought this would be a close alternative.

Admittedly, the sauce was thin and didn’t stick as well as I would have liked. This just gives me an opportunity to make these gluten-free dairy-free chocolate donuts again to perfect the idea!

What gluten-free baked goods have you been missing? If you make gluten-free donuts at home, what’s your favorite recipe and method? Share a note with me in the comments!

**This page contains affiliate links. I make a small percentage back which helps cover the cost of maintaining this site.**

The post Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Chocolate Donuts appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Dang Foods Coconut Chips

When I first wrote about this gluten-free coconut crusted chicken recipe in 2013, I titled it “Some Dang Good Chicken.” It was a play on words, because I just discovered Dang Foods original coconut chips. At that time there were a new company, and the latest craze.  Fast forward four years and Dang Foods are more readily available and involve more than just coconut!

When I recently scored a bag of the original coconut chips on clearance, I knew it was time to remake this recipe. I imagine they were on sale due to a new packaging change. When searching them out in the store, they now have bright packaging with a large coconut drawn on the front. Just letting you know in case you’ve never tried them. And if you haven’t, you need to. They’ll TOTALLY blow your mind. Anyway, back to my gluten free coconut crusted chicken.

Tips on Breading Chicken

There are many recipes on the internet for chicken coated in coconut. However, mine is different because they use flaked coconut. However, I use ground Dang Foods coconut chips. Totally different, right? Of all the recipes on the ‘net, I felt this recipe for Baked Coconut Crusted Chicken Tenders was a good starting point.

Andie used chicken tenders, I used chicken breast. (The first time I tried this gluten free coconut crusted chicken I used chicken thighs. Those retain more moisture, and may be better for this recipe. Your choice.)  I did however use her method for breading the chicken. (Which I used to make mozzarella sticks!) I use Bob’s Red Mill White Rice Flour for the first step, then dipped it in egg, then coated it in the coconut crumb mixture.

Other Ingredients in my Gluten Free Coconut Crusted Chicken

Now, these gluten-free coconut crusted chicken breasts aren’t coated in coconut chip crumbs alone. Andie’s recipe called for additional bread crumbs. However, I had leftover pretzel crumbs from my White Chocolate Chip Cookie Pretzel Bark I needed to use. You know me, waste not – want not, right? (You could use Aleia’s gluten free bread crumbs, instead.)

So I combined the pretzel crumbs with the coconut chip crumbs. You could use bread crumbs or cracker crumbs or probably even crushed Rice Chex if you want. You could probably even be crazy bold and do ALL crushed coconut chip crumbs. If you do, let me know. I like people who also live on the wild side, lol.

How Long Do I Bake This Chicken?

I baked the chicken for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, per Andie’s website recommendations. However, it was a tad overcooked. Therefore, I’m going to suggest baking it a lower temperature, say 350 degrees. While looking at Pinterest for similar recipes, they all suggested serving it with a honey mustard sauce. Dozens of people can’t be wrong, so I made some. SO GLAD I DID! It was totally the perfect pairing to this dish. Of course, I can’t remember which recipe I followed. Typical. Feel free to make your own favorite recipe.

There you have it. A simple, delicious way to jazz up boring chicken breasts. You should totally put this on your meal plan for this week. Not a fan of coconut? Try this One Pan Cranberry Balsalmic Roasted Chicken from Cotter Crunch. That dish has me drooling too! Loving the idea of gluten-free pretzels as a coating? Then try this recipe for gluten free pretzel chicken with honey mustard from Flippin’ Delicious. No need for boring chicken ever again!

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Gluten-Free Coconut Crusted Chicken Breasts

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut to make 4 thin filets
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 oz Dang coconut chips crushed into crumbs
• 1 oz cracker or pretzel crumbs
• white rice flour for dredging
• honey mustard sauce for dipping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350*. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. 
• In a food processor, combine Dang Coconut chips and crackers (or pretzels) and pulse until broken down into crumbs. Place in a shallow, wide bowl and set aside. 
• Butterfly and cut 2 large chicken breasts in half to make 4 filets. 
• Dredge chicken filets in white flour, then dip in egg so that the whole filet is covered. Finally, dip in the coconut and cracker crumb mixture. Lay coated chicken breast filet on aluminum-lined sheet. 
• Bake at 350* for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.

What’s your favorite way to prepare gluten-free chicken breasts? Feel free to drop a link below. If you make my recipe, tag your photo with #miglutenfreegal on Instagram and I’ll share it to my Instagram stories! 

**This post is not sponsored, and I purchased all ingredients on my own. This post does contain affiliate links. Purchases made through those links help support this blog with no extra expense to you. Thank you for your continued support!**

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